


tahan/an

by jovenlovebot (salamangkera)



Category: Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral (2018), Heneral Luna (2015)
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Lunasona
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-23
Updated: 2019-01-23
Packaged: 2019-10-14 21:32:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17516228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/salamangkera/pseuds/jovenlovebot
Summary: He's here. Joven is here.





	tahan/an

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [through stained glass](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17011791) by [pagkalunod (sisinala)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sisinala/pseuds/pagkalunod). 



> special thanks to [ @pagkalunod](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sisinala/pseuds/pagkalunod) for beta-ing, the words, and letting me respond to your fic

                She woke up to an empty room, on his side of the bed, with the sheets wrapped around her.

                She sat up and rubbed her eyes. How cruel. Has her mind started playing tricks on her? Did she miss her husband so much that her brain made it seem that Joven has come back from war?

                Josefa looked around, and saw that the bed was empty. Ah. It was just another one of her dreams. Like all the other times. She clutches the sheets as she fights the scream building up inside her.

                She can't remember how many times she woke up like this, the ghost of his touch lingering on her skin. It was too much. She can't take any more of this. Last night felt so real. She tried to gulp down some air around the lump in her throat, and she wrapped her arms around herself.

                Tears were threatening to fall when the bedroom door clattered open, revealing her husband, his hair disheveled and glasses slightly askew, wearing his favorite kamiso and pants.

                “Mahal?” He hurried over to her, gently cupping her face in between his hands, checking for any sign of hurt. “What happened? Are you okay?”

                The tears started falling upon feeling his hands on her. Was she still dreaming? Is this really her husband?

                But he is warm and he held her against his chest and his heartbeat is strong and loud and reassuring, as he started whispering _I'm here, it's me,_ and Josefa starts sobbing.

                He's here. Joven is here.

                She tried to be brave these past few months, trying to maintain a sense of normalcy despite her husband’s absence. News travels fast, and soon enough she has become the talk of the town. She held her head high, despite their whispers. Joven promised he'd be back. With all that's happened in her life, she didn't have a lot of faith in promises. But this was Joven, and she believed in him. That's all she held on to.

                In his arms, she finally let herself feel all those months of being alone and afraid.

                He held her for as long as she needed, arranging them so that he leaned against the headboard while she clung to his side. He stroked her hair and placed the occasional kiss on her forehead as he waited for the tears to subside and her breath to even out.

                “What happened, Sefa?”

                It took her a while to answer. In a small voice, she replied. “I thought that yesterday wasn't real.”

                “Mahal…”

                “I woke up to an empty bed, Joven. You have no idea how many times I dreamt that you were here, only to wake up crying because Panginoong Diyos, I wanted it to be _real_.”

                “I'm here, mahal. I'm here now.”

                She weakly slapped his chest, sniffling. “Don't leave me like that again.”

                “I promise. No more going off to chase the war.”

                She chuckled. “Don't make promises you can't keep. I love you, and you love me, but we both know that we have a responsibility to the country as well. You swore yourself to me, and I to you. But our country needs us more.”

                She laced their fingers together, and turned to look at him. “And I know you, mahal. You hate leaving things unfinished. You need to see things through. That's why you left in the first place.”

                Adoration shone through her eyes as the sunlight streamed through the curtains. “It's one of the many reasons why I fell in love with you.”

                Joven ducked his head and shyly smiled. “Then what did you mean?”

                “I meant, don't leave me while I'm still asleep. You know I hate waking up without you.” She pouted at him, and he laughed.

                “I only left to get some pandesal! I came back as soon as I could. Speaking of— I was going to come wake you up. I missed your coffee, Sefa.” Joven flashed those puppy eyes of his, and she melts.

                “I'm starting to think you married me for my coffee, mahal,” she said, raising a brow.

                “I did, actually. You were just a bonus,” he deadpans.

                “Oh, thank you for the honesty. I shouldn't have spent all those nights crying for you, then,” she laughs, and stands up. “Come on then, _sir_. Your coffee awaits.” She slipped on her clothes and left the room.

                At her words, a sad smile formed on Joven’s lips. He follows her to their kitchen, and he plops down on a chair. He stares around, trying to remember the features of the house. He was certain she would’ve changed things around since he left, but not much was different. He can see that she wanted to keep things as they were, maintaining the house as though he were still there.

                He did notice that there were more paintings than usual, and his heart clenched as he imagined her alone in the house, painting the days away. The sky, in so many sunsets. So many blue and greens, the garden and the nearby river. Solitude and the silence. “I missed you,” in so many colors.

                Joven watches her as she bustled around the kitchen, breathing life into their home. A light seemed to radiate from her, and he can see that she started to come alive again.

                He stands up to wrap his arms around her. She startles, but relaxes quickly. She turns around and faces him, staring into his eyes.

                “Joven.”

                “Josefa.”

                She smiles and places her arms around his neck, and rests her head on his shoulder. They stay like that for a while, until she lets go and laughs.

                “Our coffee’s getting cold, Joven. Come on.” She turns around to get the two mugs of coffee, and he arranges the pandesal on the table.

                They sit, facing each other.

                Josefa takes his hand. “Thank you for coming back to me. Welcome home, mahal.”

                Joven looks into the stars in her eyes, and he finally feels whole.


End file.
